Hurricane Erin Strengthens to Category 5
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Life-Threatening' Damage Expected to Hit Several Areas, Despite Hurricane Erin's Downgrade to Category 3 Storm
Hurricane Erin reached a catastrophic Category 5 status before weakening early morning on Sunday, Aug. 17 NEED TO KNOW On Sunday, Aug. 17, Hurricane Erin was downgraded to a Category 3 storm after previously reaching a catastrophic Category 5 status According to the National Hurricane Center, the hurricane is still expected to produce "life-threatening" conditions in several areas Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Turks and Caicos Islands and Puerto Rico before possibly reaching in the Southeast Bahamas tonight Hurricane Erin remains a threat to life despite no longer being a Category 5 storm. Early morning on Sunday, Aug. 17, the National Hurricane Center downgraded Hurricane Erin as wind speeds eased, according to Reuters and NPR. The tropical storm is still expected to bring poor weather conditions to several locations. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in an updated report that heavy rainfall will continue throughout Puerto Rico, while diminishing over the Virgin Islands today. This will pose a risk of flash flooding and landslides, or mudslides. The Turks and Caicos Islands are also likely to be hit before the tropical storm moves through the Bahamas from Sunday evening through Tuesday, Aug. 19. "Erin is expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents along the beaches of the Bahamas, much of the East Coast of the U.S., Bermuda, and Atlantic Canada during the next several days," according to the report. The storm's rapid intensification makes it "one of the fastest-strengthening Atlantic hurricanes on record, and potentially the fastest intensification rate for any storm earlier than September 1," CNN reported. The level of intensification typically happens in September and October, according to the outlet. Rapid intensification is when a hurricane gains at least 35 mph of sustained winds in 24 hours, per NOAA. Erin began as a tropical storm that swept through the Cape Verde Islands on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The heavy rainfall and flooding "overwhelmed emergency services and cut key roads' in the island located off of West Africa, resulting in nine deaths and 1500 displaced, Reuters reported. The National Hurricane Center warned that the storm was expected to strengthen as it passed over warm Caribbean waters, according to NPR. By Friday, Aug. 15, the storm had strengthened into a hurricane. This storm comes nearly eight years after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico as a category 4 storm, killing more than 3,000 people and causing an estimated $90 billion in damages. Maria struck on Sept. 20, 2017, and quickly became the first hurricane of its strength to hit the island since 1932. Torrential downpour and violent winds ravaged the electrical grid and sent thousands fleeing to the mainland. Months later, businesses struggled to recover, and residents had difficulty obtaining basic necessities. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was heavily criticized after failures resulted in only half of the island able to access clean drinking water, among other essentials. Ramón A. Paez Marte, of Canóvanas, told NBC News in 2018 that at least seven people he knew died in the hurricane's aftermath, including a man in his 30s, who had been rescuing stranded elderly residents. 'He didn't even last one month,' Paez Marte said of the young man. 'He had a wound and when he dove into the flood waters trying to help people, I guess it caught a really bad infection and they couldn't cure it.' According to findings from The New York Times, more than one million people requested help from the agency — and 58 percent were denied. 'We all have some sort of [post-traumatic stress disorder]. It's a trauma,' San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto told ABC News in 2018. 'It's not a shock, it's a trauma.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. In February of 2018, the Senate reached a two-year budget deal that awarded Puerto Rico almost $16 billion in aid. However, the number falls short of the $94.4 billion figure that officials said they needed to rebuild the island and prevent future devastation, per The New York Times. Years later, in 2022, Hurricane Fiona also made landfall in Puerto Rico, bringing 'catastrophic and life-threatening flooding' as the slow-moving Category 1 storm dumped trillions of gallons of water on the island. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hurricane Erin to fluctuate in strength as dangers increase along US coast
Hurricane Erin is forecast by AccuWeather meteorologists to experience fluctuations in wind intensity while taking a curved path between the United States and Bermuda in the week ahead. As of Sunday midday, Erin's maximum sustained winds were 125 mph, making it a Category 3 hurricane with the eye about 200 miles to the north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Erin was moving west-northwest at 13 mph. Erin has experienced a common hurricane phenomenon called an eyewall replacement, AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. "This means that as the old eyewall expands outward, a new eyewall forms closer to the center," Buckingham explained. "Top winds often ease back during this cycle, but it is followed by another surge in wind intensity as the new eye completes organization." Feeder bands extending outward from the hurricane have been and will continue to produce torrential downpours, flash flooding and mudslides in Puerto Rico and some of the surrounding islands in the northern Caribbean with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 14 inches. Strong wind gusts in the feeder bands can trigger sporadic power outages. The AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in the Caribbean is less than one. Erin has thus far been steered along by the large clockwise circulation around high pressure over the central Atlantic. As Erin moves along the backside of this high, it will turn more to the northwest and then to the north early this the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+ Later this week, the jet stream should begin to grab hold of Erin and guide it northeastward. The timing of that steering breeze takeover is critical to the exact path Erin will take in terms of proximity to the U.S. coast. While the highly dangerous eyewall of the storm is most likely to remain at sea, the area size of Erin will increase over time. Combined with any shifts in track, this could bring tropical storm to hurricane conditions to parts of the U.S. Atlantic Coast, Bermuda and, later this week, Atlantic Canada. For example, should Erin's track shift westward by 100 miles or so, eastern North Carolina could experience tropical storm conditions. As of Sunday morning, tropical storm winds (39 mph or greater) extend outward from the center up to 205 miles. Hurricane winds (74 mph or greater) associated with the eyewall extend outward up to 25 miles. Erin's already large size and intensity are acting like a giant plunger on the sea surface. Large swells generated by the winds can reach 50 feet or more near the center and propagate outward. While the swells will lose some energy moving away from the center, as large swells approach coastal areas, waves in much of the surf zone along the U.S. Atlantic Coast will average 5-10 feet at peak this week. However, beaches that extend out into the ocean, such as in North Carolina's Outer Banks, eastern Long Island, New York, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, can experience waves of 10-15 feet. The magnitude of the waves in the surf zone and offshore will depend on the track and intensity of Erin as it approaches and moves by offshore. Ocean-going vessel operators should be aware that wave heights can increase dramatically just a few miles offshore. Cruise and shipping interests may want to avoid Erin and the hurricane's massive seas. Rip currents, which are always present in the surf zone, will increase in strength and number from south to north along the U.S. Atlantic coast as the week progresses. The combination of pounding waves and strong rip currents will create dangerous conditions in the surf zone. Swimmers are urged to abide by local authorities, which may limit swimming or close some beaches that are not under lifeguard protection. Portions of the Outer Banks and the Virginia beaches will experience a storm surge up to several feet with wave action on top. This condition will lead to significant coastal flooding and beach erosion. Since North Carolina's Highway 12 is near sea level, significant overwash and closures are possible on the roadway beginning around midweek. Impacts in Bermuda, Atlantic Canada Since Erin's eye is forecast to pass well west of Bermuda, the islands will be spared a direct hit and the worst wind and rain conditions from the hurricane. However, dangerous seas and surf conditions are expected around the islands from Tuesday to Thursday. Based on the current track and anticipated size and strength of Erin, the islands could experience tropical storm conditions. Any eastward shift in Erin's track would bring more significant conditions to the islands. Beyond the Caribbean, the U.S. and Bermuda, it is possible that the closest landmass that Erin may approach is southeastern Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The projected timetable for the possible close encounter on Friday. During this time, some transformation to a non-tropical storm may be underway, which could cause the shield of rain and extent of strong winds to push outward from the center even more. Beyond Canada, the next land masses that Erin could affect are Iceland or the United Kingdom as a tropical wind and rainstorm later next weekend and beyond. Brief history of Erin Despite days of battling cool water and dry air earlier last week, Erin found its stride from Thursday to Saturday as it moved over much warmer water, surrounded itself with moisture and experienced low disruptive breezes (low wind shear). Erin experienced one of the most rapid intensification cycles on record late this past week, going from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just over a day--27 hours, 20 minutes to be exact. At 8 a.m. on Friday, Erin was a 70-mph tropical storm. By 11 a.m. on Friday, Erin's strength had edged to hurricane intensity at 75 mph. However, from 11 a.m. on Friday to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Erin increased to a 155-mph Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale. Just minutes later, as fresh data arrived from hurricane hunter aircraft, Erin became a 160-mph Category 5. This marks the fourth straight season with at least one Category 5 hurricane. Last year brought two Category 5 storms, Beryl and Milton. Beryl was the earliest Category 5 on record, dating back to July 1. The peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is still ahead--in September. Beyond Erin AccuWeather meteorologists continue to monitor the Atlantic for additional tropical troublemakers. Two areas associated with low pressure (tropical waves) moving west from Africa are being tracked. Both of these waves have a low risk of developing. However, as conditions in their path change, this risk could increase or decrease in the days ahead. The tropical wave train, or Cabo Verde season, named for a group of islands just off the African coast, represents the backbone of the Atlantic hurricane season. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Video shows hurricane hunters flying through Erin
Hurricane hunters with the NOAA flew through Hurricane Erin after it rapidly intensified into a rare Category 5 hurricane. Erin is expected to continue to fluctuate in intensity as it undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle.
